Reflection
by Redtailedfox
Summary: Katherine was only interested in one person- and that was herself.


When Katherine had first seen Elena, her initial reaction had been one of cold shock. Here she was, ancestor, sister, twin and doppelganger, a perfect replica of Katherine and Katherine's own template, a mirror image, a marvelous duplicate. Katherine could hear the younger girl's light breath against cool morning air, and the sound of her human heart beating steady. Katherine's own heart raced in response, made into a pair of pounding wings by an emotion she had mistaken as relief.

For here she was: the key to Katherine's dark chains, the object that could free her from the vicious attentions of the man who had hunted her for nearly five hundred years.

The second time she had seen Elena, the girl had been garbed in a silky dress of green and gold, her smile as radiant as a glistening diamond, and her eyes as bright and sly as a snake's. She had reached out and taken Stefan's hand, and from the look in his eyes, Katherine could tell that the younger doppelganger had won him entirely over. And Damon, too, from the shadows, was fixated on the girl with an obsessive intensity, and an adoring warmth in his expression. Elena was replacing Katherine inside both of their hearts, and Katherine could see that on them, feel it even from afar.

For here she was: the Katherine made sweet and naïve, the Katherine that Katherine herself had never been. The Katherine as Katherine had presented herself to the Salvatore's what seemed like an eternity ago, the Katherine they had lusted after these long centuries.

And Katherine's breathing sped up, with what she thought was perhaps jealousy, for that was the only explanation that made any sort of sense. She convinced herself it was envy that nestled inside her breast and curled around her heart; envy over what the unworthy child had taken from her.

The next time she had seen the girl, voice trembling with a tangible dread and panic, kneeling in a rapidly growing, intoxicating, pool of John's blood, Katherine realized she felt something entirely different for the doppelganger child. As the girl whirled around, terror and cold determination both unconcealed on her face, Katherine inhaled, as if trying to scent the distilled version of Elena, made pure by fear. And with an amused start, Katherine found that she desired the girl, as she had Stefan once upon a time.

For here she was: human and whole, shining with youthful innocence and vitality. She had captivated the heart's of two already, and now unknowingly had claimed a third.

Many times after that, Katherine had approached Elena, and began to notice a faint pang of regret stirring in her, and knew she would not enjoy betraying the girl to her ruthless pursuer. It was a necessity, that was all, and her ever-growing fondness could not be allowed to cloud over her survival instinct.

It was a shame, too, because Katherine genuinely wanted the girl, wanted to wrap her arms around her and make her her own. She craved her in a way she was incapable of coveting her own reflection, and the sight of her seemingly unattainable beauty, day after day, was almost enough to make her cry.

And when the danger of the Originals and their plots and plans had faded to an underlying tension, Katherine was stunned by the depth of her joy. Elena was alive, and she was drowning in unprecedented bliss.

Emboldened by this triumph, she came to the girl one night, as Elena walked outside, unconcerned for her safety as the Originals had vanished from her life. Katherine presented herself to the girl, and pressed a kiss to her lips.

To her delight, the younger doppelganger did not recoil, and instead hesitatingly returned the kiss. Though Katherine felt the heat of her desire below her skin, and desperately wanted to give into it, to intensify the kiss and thoroughly claim the girl's lips, she pulled back. She instead stroked the girl's face, brushing back a lock of Elena's hair with a tenderness neither of them expected.

For here she was: perfect and lovely, human and warm. She was unique and strange, and altogether wondrous in her familiarity.

And when the danger returned, this time in the form of a vengeful werewolf pack, Elena's resemblance to Katherine- the one who had inflamed their wrath- proved, this once, to be disastrous.

The werewolf, in human form and held taunt with fury, lunged for the girl, not realizing his mistake. Overcome with horror and made impulsive by fright, Katherine pushed the girl aside, taking her place, and surrendering her heart to the werewolf's stake.

She barely noticed as Bonnie and Caroline, Stefan and Damon, worked as one to murder the pack, she only had eyes for Elena. The stake had entered her heart, she could tell, and her skin was only seconds away from hardening.

"Thank you," the girl whispered to her, and she gave her a wry smile. And though the circumstances were less then ideal, Elena was finally within Katherine's reach, emotionally and physically capable of touching.

She had time for one last thought before her body became totally rigid and her movement stopped completely.

_The Salvatore's were right- in the end, the only one I did care for was myself._


End file.
